


Taking Priority

by Nebula5030



Series: Merwaine Oneshots [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Comforting Gwaine, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Illness, M/M, Mentions of Vomitting, Okay not "mentions" it's there lol, Sickness, So I gave Merlin symptoms then Googled them- apparently I gave Merlin the flu lol, sick Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 12:56:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15930878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nebula5030/pseuds/Nebula5030
Summary: Gwaine stays with Merlin after he falls ill one morning





	Taking Priority

Gwaine reached his hands above his head, groaning as his muscles pulled in a stretch, and walked over to Arthur- the best place to look if you wanted to find Merlin. “Morning, Arthur. How are you?” he asked while moving his head in a circle to ease the stiffness in his neck. _Why_ did Arthur insist on such early morning practice?

(Though many would argue that after the tenth bell hardly constituted as “early.”)

Arthur titled his head back and forth as if considering. “Not bad. You?”

“Eh, pretty good, actually.” Gwaine glanced around Arthur and the training field, and frowned slightly when he didn’t spot Merlin. Arthur was here and he wasn’t? That was odd. “Where’s Merlin? You’re not making him muck the stables _again_ are you?”

Arthur sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Merlin’s with Gaius. He had a nasty fever this morning.”

Gwaine jerked to Arthur, his brow furled and his eyes wide in shock. Why didn’t he hear about this sooner? “How bad?”

Arthur shook his head slightly, letting out a huff. “He nearly fainted while serving Gwen and I breakfast.”

Gwaine frowned. He should be with Merlin, not out here _training_. “Well, do you need me for anything else? If not, I’d like to go see Merlin then, just to make sure he’s okay.”

Arthur turned to Gwaine and looked over him with a confused look. But then his eyes softened and he put a hand to Gwaine’s shoulder- the closest thing Gwaine would get to an apology. “Yes, of course. I should have informed you immediately of what was happening. Go see Merlin; I don’t think I’ll be needing you today.”

Gwaine nodded. “Thank you, sire,” and he turned and sped-walked into the castle, before weaving his way through the halls directly to Gaius’s chambers.

Once outside, he knocked lightly on the door and poked his head in. “Hello? Gaius?”

Gaius, who was sitting on the stool next to the patient bed, turned and looked at who had entered.  “Ah, Gwaine,” he said softly, pushing on his knees to stand himself up. “Did you need something?”

“Actually, I heard Merlin was sick,” Gwaine said as he stepped in and shut the door.  “I wanted to check on him.”

Gaius pursed his lips.  “He’s resting right now, I’m not sure-”

“Gwaine?” a weak voice sounded from behind Gaius. Gaius stepped to the side to look, and Gwaine could now see Merlin resting on his side in the patient bed.

Gaius looked between the two of them, but then let out a breath.  “Very well. He’s awake now, so I guess I have no reason to send you away. And I do need to give him some medicine.” Gaius walked over to the medicine cabinet, leaving the space next to the bed vacant.

Gwaine didn’t need another invitation. He rushed over to Merlin’s bedside and sat on Gaius’s now empty stool and looked over his love. Merlin’s face was flushed: his cheeks bright red but the rest of his face several shades paler than it usually was.

Merlin smiled. “Hey, Gwaine,” he greeted weakly.

“Hello, love,” Gwaine responded with a faint smile as he placed a hand on Merlin’s, and felt that it was much warmer than he was used to. Frowning slightly, Gwaine placed the hand that wasn’t holding Merlin’s to Merlin’s forehead, and could feel the tremendous heat coming from Merlin’s body.  “Oh, Merlin, you’re burning up!”

Merlin rolled his eyes. Being sick had apparently not reduced his sass. “That’s what Gwen said. Tell me something I don’t know.”

Gwaine titled his head with a slight smirk. “Something you don’t know, eh?” Gwaine pursed his lips and thought. “Well… did you know that Arthur actually managed to do something non-pratish today?”

Merlin let out a sharp laugh, but it sounded more like a cough. He smiled at Gwaine, his expression mischievous. “What? Arthur? Not being a prat? Impossible!”

Gwaine nodded over-enthusiastically with a smile. “It’s true! After he told me you weren’t well, I asked him if I could leave training so I could see you. And wouldn’t you know it? He said yes! I think he must be slipping.”

Merlin laughed again, and Gwaine felt his heart lift at seeing Merlin happy despite the circumstances. However, a moment later Merlin’s laugh rapidly degraded into a coughing attack, and Gwaine squeezed Merlin’s hand, his smile falling into a frown at his inability to do more. The coughing subsided, and Merlin let out a sigh. “I hate this.”

Gwaine chuckled. “I’m pretty sure everyone does, Merlin.”

Gaius came back over a moment later, a bottle in his hand. “Here, Merlin, this will help. But I must warn you, it might also upset your stomach, so I suggest you sit up, just in case.”

Merlin took his hand back from Gwaine’s and started to slowly push himself to a seated position, arms shaking with the effort. “Here,” Gwaine said, reaching an arm around Merlin’s back and taking some of Merlin’s weight. “Let me help.”

Merlin gave Gwaine a grateful look, and Gwaine helped Merlin sit upright. He watched Merlin carefully as Merlin swung his legs off the side of the bed, making sure he didn’t fall over. However, once Merlin was stable, he looked up at Gwaine with a faint smile.

Gwaine looked over at Gaius, and the physician had an impressed look on his face, “I should keep you around more often, Gwaine.”

“Only if Merlin says I can.”

Merlin gave Gwaine an incredulous yet amused look as he took the bottle from Gaius’s hand, eyeing the contents warily before he popped the cork off and took a sip. Merlin grimaced at the taste for a moment, but then swallowed. However, a moment later, a new look came to his face.

Gwaine knew that look. It was hard not to if you spent your free time at the tavern.

Immediately Gwaine grabbed the bucket Gaius kept under the bed for this express purpose and placed it on Merlin’s knees, just as Merlin doubled over, his stomach deciding to rapidly expel its contents. Merlin heaved several times, and Gwaine moved one hand reassuringly on Merlin’s back, rubbing circles in.

After several dry heaves, Merlin looked up at Gwaine, embarrassed. “Sorry you had to see that, Gwaine.” Gaius handed Merlin a glass of water, and Merlin began to rinse out his mouth, spitting the soiled water into the bucket.

Gwaine snorted. “Merlin, if you’ve been in _half_ as many taverns as I have, it doesn’t bother you anymore,” he titled his head with a thoughtful pause, “Although usually _I’m_ the one who is bent over a bucket.”

Merlin chuckled slightly, but then looked up at Gaius. “Should I…?” he asked, holding out the still nearly full bottle.

Gaius nodded. “Hopefully your stomach can keep it down now that’s its empty. Plus you need to keep your fluids up.”

Merlin grimaced, but did as Gaius said anyway. After Merlin had swallowed the last of the medicine, the three of them waited for a moment with bated breath, but then Merlin nodded. “I think I’m good.”

Gwaine let out a breath, “That’s good.” He grabbed the bucket from Merlin’s lap and began to stand, but Gaius came over and took it from Gwaine’s hands. Gwaine looked at Gaius indignantly. “I can do it, Gaius, I don’t mind.”

Gaius shook his head. “You may be used to it, Gwaine, but it’s my _job_ to deal with these things. You just stay here with Merlin. I’ll be right back,” and he hobbled to the door and was out of the room a moment later.

Merlin started looking a tad dazed, swaying slightly where he sat. Gwaine frowned. “Do you need to lie back down?”

Merlin nodded. Gwaine snaked an arm back behind Merlin’s shoulders and helped Merlin ease himself back to the bed. Once he was back down, Gwaine sighed as he pulled the covers back up to Merlin’s shoulders. “I hate seeing you like this, love. I would trade places with you in a heartbeat.”

Merlin took a hand out from under the blanket and placed it to Gwaine’s cheek. He smirked as he rubbed his thumb across Gwaine's cheekbone and said, “But then I’d be wishing to trade spots with you. And then where would we be?”

A smile passed over Gwaine’s face. He leaned forward and pecked Merlin quickly on the forehead, and then placed his forehead to Merlin’s, feeling the heat off of Merlin’s skin. “You’re still burning up, love.”

Merlin guffawed. “It’s been two minutes since you said that the first time! Did you honestly expect a change that quickly?”

Gwaine chuckled as he sat back down. “No. Just making an observation, that’s all.”

Merlin gave Gwaine an exasperated look, but then shook his head. “You shouldn’t be so close. I don’t want you catching whatever this is.”

“Bah!” Gwaine said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I never get sick. I’ll be fine.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow, very Gaius-like, but then shrugged. “Okay, if you insist.”

Gaius returned a couple minutes later, the bucket now empty and cleaned, to find his ward and his visitor laughing slightly at whatever (probably exaggerated) story Gwaine was telling. Gaius smiled; Merlin had been looking miserable all morning, and seeing him in a good mood lifted his own spirits as well.

Gwaine was there for virtually the entire day, staying by Merlin’s side, helping Merlin when he needed it, and even doing some of Merlin’s chores since he was unable to do them himself.

When Merlin had finally gone to bed for the night (returning to his own small room in the back with some assistance from Gwaine), Gwaine found himself helping Gaius clean jars. The two of them hadn’t said much, each lost in their own thoughts, but then Gaius spoke up.

“Thank you, Gwaine.”

Gwaine glanced over at him. “What for?”

“For helping today. And with Merlin; he seemed to be in a much better mood after you arrived.”

Gwaine smirked slightly. “Glad I could help.”

Gaius smiled faintly. “You two are good for each other, I can tell,” but then he let out a breath, his face falling. “Merlin’s probably going to need some time to recover from whatever this is. I don’t think he’ll be able to return to his duties for at least a few days.”

Gwaine nodded, his frown turning to concern. “… anything I can do?”

“Can you stay with him tomorrow? I put off several things today to watch him, but I won’t be able to for much longer. I’ll need you here early though- sixth bell, at the latest.”

And Gwaine only smiled. As loathe as he was to wake up early, Merlin took priority. He always did.

“I’ll be here.”


End file.
